Condiment holder



Patented July 13, 192%.

pa rs srarss sins.

CONDIMENT HOLDER.

Application filed November 15, 192s. Serial No. 750,167.

My present invention relates generally'to condiment holders, and more particularly to a shaker top for salt, pepper and spice jars and the like, my primary object being the provision of a shaker top having means in connection therewith whereby to close the openings in the top cap when the holder is resting in its normal upright. position, without interfering with the free use of the holder for the usual purposes when inverted in dispensing position. A. further object of the invention is to provide a means of the above nature which will not only improve the ordinary cap from a sanitary standpoint, but which will do so without in any way interfering with the maintenance of the outside or external surface of the cap or top in a cleanly condition.

in carrying out the above and certain other objects my invention proposes a construction to be now described with reference to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification and wherein,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the condiment holder equipped with my present improvements,

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section taken therethrough, and

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view showing the parts of my invention, the cap or shaker top being in dotted outline.

Referring now to these figures I have shown in Figures 1 and 2 a conventional form of condiment holder in the nature of a jar 10, provided with an upper reduced and externally threaded neck 11 for the reception of a cap 12 the latter of which includes a top portion 13 having a series of perforations 14, and a threaded flange or skirt portion 15 detachably in connection with the threads of the jar neck 11.

In the ordinary use of a condiment holder of this nature, the jar 1O normally rests in upright position upon a table or other support with the perforations 14 entirely open so that dust, dirt and other foreign matter, as well as moisture from the atmosphere, freely find their way into the jar with unsanitary results which frequently give rise to considerable disadvantage in the subsequent dispensing of the contents of the jar when the latter is upended and shaken for this purpose.

According to my invention a series of pins 16 extend loosely through the several perforations 14 of the cap top 13 and are fixedly connectedrat their inner ends to'a holding member arranged within the cap and shown in the present instance in the form of a ring 17 which by virtue of its rigid holding of the pins avoids any danger of binding of the latter in the perforations Is as the ring 17 moves toward and away from the inner surface of the cap top 13. It will be noted, however, in this respect that the ring 17 has a series of bosses or upset portions 18 which upon shifting movement of the ring toward the innersurface of the .cap top 13, engage the latter so as to prevent the ring from seatmg flatwise against the cap top and in this way closing the inner ends of the perforations 14:.

At their outer ends the pins are provided with liaring heads 19 whose inner portions merge into the surfaces of the pins and whose outer enlarged portions are slightly greater in diameter than the perforations id of the cap top so that in the normal position of the condiment holder, that is the upright position shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pins 16 fall by gravity until their flaring heads close the perforations 14 as plainly shown in full lines in Figure 2. In this position of the parts it is quite obvious that entrance of dust, dirt and other foreign matter as well as moisture from the air is prevented and still the pin heads project to such a slight extent above the upper surface of the cap top that the latter, with the holder in the normal upright position, may be dusted or wiped so as to maintain the same in thoroughly cleanly condition and appearance at all times.

It is furthermore obvious that upon inverting the holder in use, the material within the may be readily displaced and in shaking the holder in use it is obvious that the pins 16, moving around and lengthwise in the perforations, will maintain the latter free and open at all times except of course for the pins themselves. This insures accurate seating of the flaring heads of the pins in the perforations of the cap top when the condiment holder is again disposed in upright position and the pins are free to fall by gravity, so that the perforations will be completely closed and so that there will be little if any extension of the pin heads above the upper surface of the cap top,

It is also to be observed that the flaring upper heads of the pins serve a useful function when the holder is in operation inasill) much as the out Un-ough' pins wii he and thus peniaet.

I claim:

contents of the holder flowing the cup openings around the deflected by the flaring heads efi'ert-lvely and uniformly dison for condiment holders inl unns extending loosely through 1 erforutiens ot' the cap and having their rapper out r ends pr vided with flaring heads adapted to close the wver forations when the I gravit and to extend in this approximately flush with the uptee of the cap top, and v. holding 1 ring Within the cap to which the inner ends of the said pins are fixedly secured, having" integral Struck-up bosses projecting therefrom at spaced points toward and engage- ;thle with the inner surface of the cap top as: \x-hereh to prevent flat Wise contact of the ring against the inner surface of the cup.

MARSHALL P. MASSUERE. 

